Video cameras typically have both a viewfinder and an operating device, with the viewfinder and the operating device being configured functionally and constructionally separate.
The respective picture section detected or detectable by the video camera can be observed using the viewfinder. An optical viewfinder can be used for this purpose with respect to which a taking beam path of the video camera can be branched off. With digital video cameras, in particular electronic viewfinders are also used which display video data (i.e. moving image data) such as, for instance, the respective picture section detected by an image sensor of the video camera on a viewfinder display which can be observed through a premounted eyepiece.
An operating device of the video camera can in particular serve to configure and/or to control the video camera. In addition, the video camera can have an operating field display which can, for example, serve for the display of configuration values or of a graphical user interface for setting configuration values.
The electronic viewfinder and the operating device of a video camera are typically configured as components of the video camera and are arranged directly thereat or are even integrated therein. It is, however, also possible to configure an electronic viewfinder as a separate unit which can be connected to the video camera, optionally via a viewfinder holder. In addition, operating devices can be configured separate from a video camera and can be connected to the video camera to be able to configure and/or control the video camera remotely.
Alternatively or additionally to an electronic viewfinder, a monitor display can also be provided at a video camera. A monitor display differs from a viewfinder to the extent that it can be observed from different angles of view and by a plurality of persons simultaneously without further optical elements, whereas the viewfinder display of an electronic viewfinder is as a rule observed through an eyepiece which is arranged in front of the viewfinder display. In this respect, the eyepiece is configured such that the viewfinder display is observed by a single eye moved close to the eyepiece. The eyepiece typically has an eye cup for this purpose which outwardly closes the region between the eyepiece and the eye by which the viewfinder display is observed.
A monitor display can serve, for example, to display status information and/or video data of the video camera, in particular the respective picture section detected by the image sensor. In this manner, the video data cannot only be observed by one single person, namely the cameraman, through the viewfinder, but at the same time also by further persons such as an assistant cameraman, a sound engineer or the director. For this purpose, the monitor display can also be spaced apart from the video camera and can be connected to the video camera by means of a cable, for example. The provision of a monitor display also increases the movement flexibility for the cameraman since an observation of the video data can take place from a completely different perspective than a conventional electronic viewfinder permits, for example when the video camera is to be held and guided just above the ground by means of a handhold.
Such viewfinders, operating devices or monitor displays separate from the respective video camera admittedly provide the advantage with respect to devices integrated into the video camera of being more flexibly adaptable to different application cases in this respect since they can offer more possibilities of the spatial arrangement and alignment relative to the video camera. However, separate devices mean higher production and purchase costs. In addition, separate devices each have to be connectable to the video camera, for which purpose the video camera has to provide different connections and interfaces, which causes an increased construction effort in the video camera. If the operation and the image design function are spatially separate, this can also be disadvantageous from ergonomic aspects.
If only one single display is provided which can be used as required as a monitor display (for presenting status information) or as a viewfinder display (for an electronic viewfinder), an additional mechanism for the selective removal of an observation optics (eyepiece) is required.